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Algebra Difficulty 6.6 National olympiad Prove it Ukraine

Find all such functions f:RRf: \mathbb{R} \rightarrow \mathbb{R} such that for any real x,yx, y the following equality holds:
f(x+yf(x+y))=f(y2)+xf(y)+f(x). f(x + y f(x + y)) = f(y^2) + x f(y) + f(x).

Solution

Answer: f(x)=xf(x) = x, f(x)=0f(x) = 0.

Let us denote the given equation by (1):
f(x+yf(x+y))=f(y2)+xf(y)+f(x).(1) f(x + y f(x + y)) = f(y^2) + x f(y) + f(x). \quad (1)

Substitute x=y=0x = y = 0 into (1):
f(0)=2f(0)    f(0)=0. f(0) = 2f(0) \implies f(0) = 0.

Substitute x=0x = 0 into (1):
f(yf(y))=f(y2).(2) f(y f(y)) = f(y^2). \quad (2)

Substitute y=xy = -x into (1):
f(x+(x)f(xx))=f(x2)+xf(x)+f(x)    f(x)=f(x2)+xf(x)+f(x) f(x + (-x) f(x - x)) = f(x^2) + x f(-x) + f(x) \implies f(x) = f(x^2) + x f(-x) + f(x)
So,
f(x2)=xf(x).(3) f(x^2) = -x f(-x). \quad (3)

Now, substitute xxx \to -x in (3):
f(x2)=(x)f((x))=xf(x) f(x^2) = -(-x) f(-(-x)) = x f(x)
So,
f(x2)=xf(x) f(x^2) = x f(x)
Comparing with (3):
xf(x)=xf(x)    f(x)=f(x).(4) x f(x) = -x f(-x) \implies f(-x) = -f(x). \quad (4)
So ff is odd.

Now, substitute y=yy = -y in (1):
f(x+(y)f(xy))=f(y2)+xf(y)+f(x) f(x + (-y) f(x - y)) = f(y^2) + x f(-y) + f(x)
But f(y)=f(y)f(-y) = -f(y), so
f(x+(y)f(xy))=f(y2)xf(y)+f(x) f(x + (-y) f(x - y)) = f(y^2) - x f(y) + f(x)
Let us write this as:
f(x+yf(yx))=f(y2)xf(y)+f(x).(5) f(x + y f(y - x)) = f(y^2) - x f(y) + f(x). \quad (5)

Now, consider the difference between (1) and (5):
f(x+yf(x+y))f(x+yf(yx))=2xf(y).(6) f(x + y f(x + y)) - f(x + y f(y - x)) = 2x f(y). \quad (6)

Suppose that for some x00x_0 \neq 0, f(x0)=0f(x_0) = 0. Substitute y=x0xy = x_0 - x into (1):
f(x+(x0x)f(x+x0x))=f((x0x)2)+xf(x0x)+f(x)f(x)=f((x0x)2)+xf(x0x)+f(x)f((x0x)2)=xf(x0x) \begin{align*} f(x + (x_0 - x) f(x + x_0 - x)) &= f((x_0 - x)^2) + x f(x_0 - x) + f(x) \\ f(x) &= f((x_0 - x)^2) + x f(x_0 - x) + f(x) \\ f((x_0 - x)^2) &= -x f(x_0 - x) \end{align*}
But from (3):
f((x0x)2)=(x0x)f(xx0)=(x0x)f(x0x) f((x_0 - x)^2) = -(x_0 - x) f(x - x_0) = (x_0 - x) f(x_0 - x)
So,
xf(x0x)=(x0x)f(x0x)    f(x0x)=0,xR. -x f(x_0 - x) = (x_0 - x) f(x_0 - x) \implies f(x_0 - x) = 0, \forall x \in \mathbb{R}.
Thus, ff is identically zero, f(x)=0f(x) = 0 for all xx.

If ff is not identically zero, then such x00x_0 \neq 0 cannot exist. Thus, from the condition f(x0)=0f(x_0) = 0 it follows that x0=0x_0 = 0.

Now, let us prove injectivity. Suppose x1x2\exists x_1 \neq x_2 such that f(x1)=f(x2)f(x_1) = f(x_2).
In (6), substitute x=x1x22x = \frac{x_1 - x_2}{2}, y=x1+x22y = \frac{x_1 + x_2}{2}:
f(x1x22+x1+x22f(x1))f(x1x22+x1+x22f(x2))=(x1x2)f(x1+x22)(x1x2)f(x1+x22)=0 \begin{align*} f\left(\frac{x_1 - x_2}{2} + \frac{x_1 + x_2}{2} f(x_1)\right) - f\left(\frac{x_1 - x_2}{2} + \frac{x_1 + x_2}{2} f(x_2)\right) &= (x_1 - x_2) f\left(\frac{x_1 + x_2}{2}\right) \\ (x_1 - x_2) f\left(\frac{x_1 + x_2}{2}\right) &= 0 \end{align*}
So, either x1=x2x_1 = x_2 (contradicts assumption), or f(x1+x22)=0f\left(\frac{x_1 + x_2}{2}\right) = 0. But as above, the only zero is at 00, so x1+x2=0    x1=x2x_1 + x_2 = 0 \implies x_1 = -x_2.
But then
f(x2)=f(x1)=f(x1)=f(x2)    f(x2)=0    x2=0    x1=0 f(x_2) = f(-x_1) = -f(x_1) = -f(x_2) \implies f(x_2) = 0 \implies x_2 = 0 \implies x_1 = 0
So, ff is injective.

Now, from (2):
f(yf(y))=f(y2) f(y f(y)) = f(y^2)
But ff is injective, so yf(y)=y2    f(y)=yy f(y) = y^2 \implies f(y) = y for all yy.

Thus, the only solutions are f(x)=0f(x) = 0 and f(x)=xf(x) = x.

It is easy to check that both satisfy the original equation.

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